SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - With the dust having just recently settled from their last showdown, the Union of Northern Workers (UNW) and the speaker of the legislative assembly are butting heads again.

Barb Wyness: "He's not supposed to have any opinion whatsoever." -

The UNW has sent a letter to the clerk of the legislative assembly requesting the speaker, Paul Delorey, step down following comments he made to media. It was just over a month ago that the UNW took Delorey to court, over prohibitions on public demonstrations at the legislative assembly. The two sides reached an agreement outside of court.

The May 28, Hay River Hub newspaper quoted Delorey as follows: "I'm sure the government won't be able to get positions for everybody - especially in the communities that they are in - but I think they are very serious in trying to do as much as they possibly can," he said, explaining that he hoped his fellow MLAs would not vote the budget down. "They value the public service and they're not going to let people go lightly."

"He's not supposed to have any opinion whatsoever," said UNW public relations and research officer, Barb Wyness.

"Our opinion is he has violated his authority by entering into debate and taking sides and it's contrary to the rules of Parliament," said Wyness.

"We're calling for the clerk of the legislative assembly to investigate this. At the very least, he should be chastised for entering into public debate."

In a letter to the clerk of the legislative assembly, dated May 30, Roy Courtoreille, regional vice-president of the UNW in Hay River, referred to parliamentary practice, writing: "when in the Chair, the Speaker embodies the power and authority of the office, strengthened by rule and precedent. He or she must at all times, and be seen to show, the impartiality required to sustain the trust and goodwill of the house."

But Delorey said he made the comments as the MLA for Hay River North, and not as the speaker.

"They asked me, as the MLA for Hay River North, what I thought about the budget," said Delorey, Monday afternoon.

He pointed out that the article referred to him as MLA for Hay River North, and not as speaker of the legislative assembly.

"When I'm in Hay River, I'm there to do my job as the MLA for Hay River North," said Delorey.

He added that while he fully respects the authority and role of his duty as speaker, "I need to have the ability to represent my constituents as the representative for Hay River North," he said.

Delorey did not comment on what he thought of the union's letter.

He said the clerk advised him of the letter when he received it, and that other MLAs have come up to him, wondering what it is all about.

Tim Mercer, clerk of the legislative assembly, said there is no book of rules to say what a speaker can or cannot do.

"It's up to every speaker to determine how to go about being a fair and impartial arbiter of the house's rules. In the end, the speaker has to maintain the confidence of the members to do that," said Mercer.

"There are no strict rules in place," he said, adding, "a lot of this has taken place in convention over many years."

Mercer said he has responded to the drafter of the letter but doesn't plan to take any further action.